Extra long curling irons and speed-dry sprays: the tools that’ll make styling long hair quicker and easier

Styling long hair isn’t quite like coiffing any other kind; you need a special skill-set including an ambidextrous control of hot curling wands, and impressively wide-ranging reach (double jointed elbows might help, too).

Those adept at styling their own long hair truly are masters of an art. Not to mention patient. Sub-30-minute blowdrys are a rare occurrence.

But if all this is ringing a little too true for you, or if a power topknot has been your signature hairstyle for a little too long now, take heart. We’ve got good news.

From curling irons with extra long barrels to speed dry sprays and wrap-around bungees, the hair industry has heard your prayers, and answered with a whole host of tools and products that’ll cut styling time in half, and make the process a darn sight easier too.

Get excited, here’s the ultimate hair kit for everyone with long hair.

Designed for long, thick and course hair, the T3 Single Pass X is a souped up version of the classic T3 Single Pass styler, with wider plates that can de-frizz more hair, more quickly. Adjustable temperature settings mean you can better avoid heat damage, too.

Packing a powerful, high efficiency motor designed by Ferrari, this BaByliss hairdryer gets to work in record time. No matter how thick or long your hair, you should be able slash drying time considerably with this power dryer. The 2.8 meter cable will give you plenty of room to maneuver too, while the lightweight design won’t give you arm ache.

The Bio Ionic curling iron comes with an extra two inches on barrel length meaning that you can wrap more hair around it without having to stop and start again from the mid-lengths. There’s also a thicker 1.25 diameter version, for curling wider sections of hair at at a time.

Swap cotton towels for a super absorbent, Aquis microfibre hair towel. The innovative fabric wraps around your hair to head to soak up far more water without the need for rough towel drying, while less friction reduces frizz too. The result? Smoother hair that needs far less time under damaging heat tools. Look for the longer length towels to get the best effect on lock longs.

Drying long hair can be a real test of endurance, especially if it’s thick and long, or prone to frizz. Speed things up with the KMS Free Shape Quick Blow Dry spray. Claiming to cut drying time by half, the formula helps to repel water for speedier styling, while also smoothing fly-aways.

If your hair gets dry, added heat styling isn’t going to help. Before you know it you’ll be trimming split ends and having to chop off damage. A lightweight oil like Liz Earle’s Botanical Shine Nourishing Hair Oil works like a dream to keep the lengths healthy, hydrated and protected, plus it also helps to slash drying time when applied to wet locks. Score.

It sounds retro but stick with us; Schwarzkopf’s got2b Mind Blowing Quick Shape Mousse helps to not only slash drying time (a real theme here), and protect against heat damage, but it also helps give more volume and root lift, which can be pulled down by the weight of long locks.

Creating updos that last all day, calls for extra long hair pins. Bobby pins (or kirby grips) are typically around 4 to 5 cm long. Great if you’re pinning back small sections of hair, but near useless if you’re piling it all high. Look for ‘U shaped’ pins that are at least 6 to 7cm long, and the thicker the metal the better, as you’ll be able to really work them into buns, topknots, chignons and more for longer, firmer hold.

Heated rollers are great for adding volume, but what if you’ve got too much hair to fit around most rollers? And what to do with all those small rollers you get in sets, when all you need is additional biggies? The Cloud Nine O Pod (an update on the traditional heated roller system) is sold separately to its rollers, meaning that you can build your set whichever way you like. The Cloud Nine rollers also come in large (50mm) and extra large (60mm) diameter size, meaning you’ll be able to wrap more than just half your length around each one. Hurrah.

How many times have you got the lengths of your pony stuck or tangled while pulling it through the bobble? Of course, the whole thing turns loose by the time you’ve untangled, and then you have to start all over again. Not anymore. Swap bobbles and elastics for bungees, and you’ll never have that problem again. The hooked ends mean you wrap the band around the base of your pony instead, pulling it as tight you want before hooking it closed.

From smoother, faster blowdrying to getting rid of tangles (pain free), the Full Paddle Brush from Tangle Teaser is a long hair dream. As well as cutting down frizz, the brush has clever teeth to reduce friction and pulling, while the base is larger than ordinary brushes to accomade more hair.